I am sorry I got so behind on my daily reflections. I decided to go to my parents for the weekend, and had planned on catching up on a few things but then didn’t.

So here we go:

Day 11: 2 Timothy 1:6 Know your strengths

Day 12: Matthew 14:29 Take a step

Day 13: 1 Corinthians 15:58 Never stop trying

Day 14: Matthew 6:25 Worry is a waste

Continuing on the theme of knowing your strengths, Joyce suggests making a list of what you are good at and reading aloud a few times a day until it sinks in to your conscious. She said this isn’t conceited; it is preparing yourself to do your job with confidence. God didn’t make junk, so we aren’t junk.

What are some of my strengths? Well, I love to write stories, which makes me a good journalist. I might not be able to draw, but I can come up with some creative ideas that others can do, who have those abilities. I am a good friend and a listener. I love to learn and share important information, whether in a formal or informal setting. I can cook and bake very well most of the time, and people enjoy my treats. I have a strong drive and determination, so even when I get off track, I can get back on. I have a big heart, which can get me in trouble sometimes (caring too much and getting burnt) but I think it is a strength.

Day 12 is about getting out of the boat of your past. Joyce said that you can’t enjoy your future or even your present if you are living in your past. I think I have accomplished most of this, luckily. I used to live in the past, and sometimes I do live in the little past moments (i.e. a get-together is going well and then I say something and it seems to change the mood. Sometimes I think it will affect the days to come with my friendship, when it really doesn’t.) Joyce said no one is going to get you out of this, get you out of this past boat, so you have to do it for yourself.

Day 13 is about not seeing setbacks as failures. Do you stop trying when something goes wrong, when you “fail”? Joyce said we do not fail because something did not work out; we only fail when we stop trying. These setbacks are learning curves; we recover and we learn from them.

Today’s passage (day 14) rings so true to me right now, especially during this wedding frenzy. “Therefore, I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy about your life, what you shall eat and what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is life not greater than food, and the body than clothing?”

Everyone, including myself, is worrying so much about the reception, the food, etc. And of course, the next worry will be my dress and what the rest of my bridal party will be wearing. But where is the importance? The ceremony at the church! I worry a lot, maybe not about food and clothing but in general.

Joyce said in this book: ” Once you allow the spirit of fear to take hold of your life, you open the door to other spirits that want to grip your heart and cause you to freeze up, unable to move forward in confidence and assurance.” AMEN! Yes, this happens to me. And Joyce makes another point that 80% of chronic worriers have poor self-image. That is me, right on the nose. If I have any key bad qualities, it is my ability to worry like no other. This is the fuel for my IBS. I KNOW I should not worry, and that God even in the Bible tells me not to. I need to trust in him to get this worrying out of my system.

Like this:

Today is about perseverance. Joyce says the world keeps telling us “No!” at every turn, but we need to say, “Yes!” We need to scream, “Yes!”

Matthew 10:22 states: “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake, but he who perseveres and endures to the end will be saved.”

Joyce said God is for us, so with him, we cannot lose. But he also is teaching us, here, to persevere when we know we are right. He is teaching us to fight for what is right, even when everyone is screaming “No!” at us.

Perseverance takes a lot of strength, a lot of confidence. And that is what Joyce is trying to teach us through this devotional.

Like this:

About a few years ago, I got a book by bestselling author Joyce Meyer. It is titled “The Confident Woman Devotional.”

Today is Jan. 1, and I am starting anew.

Today’s reading is from Matthew 14:25-27. Jesus says, “Take courage! Stop being afraid!” Joyce asks: What are you doing with your life? Do you have a vision, do you want to do something greater?

Do I want to be like the eleven disciples who stayed on the boat, or do I want to be Peter, a water walker?

Fear has always paralyzed me, in addition to stress. I do push through fear but sometimes the small fears are worse for me than the big ones. However, this year I have a big one to think about: Wedding.

I think this year’s devotional will help me gain the confidence I need through this stressful time.